Boston College

www.bc.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$60,530

2.51% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$30,159

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

0.51%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

19%

39,846 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

15,577

87.7% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

90.8%

2,088 Graduates

About

Boston College is a higher education institution located in Middlesex County, MA. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Boston College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (357 degrees awarded), General Finance (348 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (231 degrees).

In 2021, 5,001 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston College. 54.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 45.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,874 degrees), 6.25 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (460 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston College is $60,530, which is $31,538 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

Photo by Jim McIntosh

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Boston College is $60,530, which is $31,538 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $30,159.

In 2021, 46% of undergraduate students attending Boston College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 35% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$60,530

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Boston College was $60,530. The cost of tuition at Boston College is $31,538 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Boston College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$30,159

2021 Value

0.109%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Boston College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $30,159. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Boston College grew by 0.109%.

This chart compares the average net price of Boston College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$13,385

Room and Board

$1,250

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston College was of $13,385 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 1.49% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,250. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Boston College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

46%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

35%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

46% of undergraduate students at Boston College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a decline of 4.17% with respect to 2020, when 48% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Boston College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.51%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Boston College was 0.51%, which represents 10 out of the 1959 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Boston College received 39,846 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 35.6% annual growth. Out of those 39,846 applicants, 7,587 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 19% acceptance rate.

There were 15,577 students enrolled at Boston College in 2021. 30% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston College has an overall enrollment yield of 33.2%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

19%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

7,587

Accepted Out of 39,846

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston College was 19% (7,587 admissions from 39,846 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 26.4%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 35.6%, while admissions declined by −2.13%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Boston College (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

30%

Submission Percentage (2021)

764

Scores Submitted (2021)

30% of enrolled first-time students at Boston College in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Boston College had a total enrollment of 15,577 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Boston College is 13,661 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,916. This means that 87.7% of students enrolled at Boston College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 49.8% White, 8.76% Hispanic or Latino, 8.35% Asian, 3.95% Black or African American, 3.2% Two or More Races, 0.0642% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0193% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Boston College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (30.7%), followed by White Male (26.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (6.26%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (20%), followed by White Male (15.9%) and Asian Female (2.97%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

87.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 15,577 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston College is 13,661 and the part-time enrollment is 1,916. This means that 87.7% of students enrolled at Boston College are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Boston College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

95%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Boston College was 95%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Boston College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Boston College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
7,759 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
1,365 enrolled students
Asian
1,300 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Boston College is 49.8% White, 8.76% Hispanic or Latino, 8.35% Asian, 3.95% Black or African American, 3.2% Two or More Races, 0.0642% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0193% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2,103 students (13.5%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 487 more women than men received degrees from Boston College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Boston College is white (2,874 degrees awarded). There were 6.25 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (460 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (357 degrees awarded), followed by General Finance (348 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (231 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Boston College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES. (100 degrees awarded), THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. (116 degrees), and Legal (235 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston College are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (342,846 people), Other managers (240,637 people), Postsecondary teachers (156,226 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (155,663 people), and Clergy (122,715 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston College in 2021 are PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES. (100 degrees awarded), THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. (116 degrees), Legal (235 degrees), Social Sciences (755 degrees), and Math & Statistics (160 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston College are Surgeons, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Aerospace engineers, Physicians, and Computer and information research scientists

The most specialized majors at Boston College are PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES. (100 degrees awarded), THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. (116 degrees), Legal (235 degrees), Social Sciences (755 degrees), and Math & Statistics (160 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston College are Elementary & secondary schools (368,889 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (310,393 people), Legal services (281,907 people), Computer Systems Design (217,561 people), and Justice, public order, & safety activities (180,266 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Boston College.

Most Common (2021)

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
357 degree-majors awarded
General Finance
348 degree-majors awarded
General Biological Sciences
231 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 357 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Boston College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,257

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

2,744

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 2,257 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College, which is 0.823 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,744).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Boston College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 294 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College in General Finance, which is 2.72 times more than the 108 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 232 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College in Social Work, which is 5.66 times more than the 41 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

90%

100% Completion Time

94%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 90% of students graduating from Boston College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 94% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 94% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Boston College is Female and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 3.35% of graduates (70 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
2,874 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
460 degrees awarded
Asian
438 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston College is white (2,874 degrees awarded). There were 6.25 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (460 degrees).

6.26% of degree recipients (313 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
1,529 degrees awarded
White Male
1,345 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
286 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Boston College is white female (1,529 degrees awarded). There were 1.14 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1345 degrees).

Operations

Boston College has an endowment valued at nearly $3.78B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 1.13B (30%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, Boston College had a total salary expenditure of 890M. Boston College employs 303 Professors, 283 Associate professors and 203 Assistant professors. Most academics at Boston College are Male Professor (203), Male Associate professor (154), and Female Associate professor (129).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston College are: Management, with 544 employees, Service, with 455 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 317 employees.

Endowment

$3.78B

2021 Endowment

46.4%

growth from 2020

Boston College has an endowment valued at about $3.78B, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston College grew 46.4% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $3.39B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Boston College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$56.1M - Federal
$1.58M - State
$4.72M - Local

As of 2021, Boston College received $56.1M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $1.58M from state grants and contracts, and $4.72M from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$397M

2021 Salaries

1.27%

growth from 2020

In 2021, Boston College paid a median of $397M in salaries, which represents 44.7% of their overall expenditure ($890M) and a 1.27% growth from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$126M

Instructional Salaries

880

Number of Employees

In 2021, Boston College paid a total of $126M to 880 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

303 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

544 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston College were Professor with 303 employees, Associate professor with 283 employees, and Assistant professor with 203 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston College were Management with 544 employees, Service with 455 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 317 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston College was Male Professor with 203 employees, Male Associate professor with 154 employees, and Female Associate professor with 129 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Boston College.